After a couple of days of intense thunderstorms, large hail and heavy rain, Europeans will now experience temperatures to peak at close to 40°C, possible setting new highest temperatures on record at particular places.

The rise begun already today with the risk of a heatwave for much of the week. The cause of this heatwave is hot air mass rising from North Africa.

To get an idea how abnormally high these temperatures are, see the Windy Extreme Forecast map. Norther Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Czechia and Poland are among the countries set to experience the most extreme temperatures.

According to the European Environment Agency, 2018 was among the three warmest years on record in Europe. It seems 2019 can make it to the list, as meteorologists warn us we can expect more heatwaves this summer. Whether it's a sign of global warming or not, it's no brainer 2019 will get a handful of red stripes.